Bitstream: January/February 2013

(c) iStockphoto.com/Daniel Bendjy

A Woman & Her Country

The United States is not one of the top 10 countries for women, according to Forbes. Compiled by the World Economic Forum, the list “ranks the gender gaps of the world’s nation by health and survival, access to education, political empowerment and economic participation,” Forbes reports. The list includes Switzerland, Nicaragua, Denmark and the Philippines.

Paid Time Off

Americans aren’t taking their vacation time, according to WomenOnBusiness.com. Data compiled by Rasmussen College shows nearly one in two Americans don’t use their allotted vacation days: “According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans gave up 226 million vacation days in 2011 with the average worker leaving two unused vacation days on the table. That equates to $34.3 billion worth of time lost on unused vacations,” reports Women On Business.

Most common reasons vacation time goes unused:

34% “I can’t afford it”

15% “I don’t schedule far enough in advance”

15% “Work is my life”

226 million unused vacation days = $34.3 billion worth of time lost on unused vacations

“NOBODY CARES if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.”

— Martha Graham, American Choreographer

Eye on the Prize

(c) iStockphoto.com/nkbimages

Distracted at work? Time magazine offers these suggestions for keeping your focus:

Plan ahead. Envision what you need to accomplish that day, make a list, prioritize it.

Eat a good breakfast. It gives you energy!

Meditate. Refresh your brain.

Go offline. Ignore e-mail for an hour, shut the ringer off on your phone. Break out a pen and paper. Shut out the busy, seductive Web.

Break things up. Rather than trying to take on a big project all at once, break your work up into small, manageable tasks.

Set a timer. Spend 15 minutes on e-mail and move on to something else. Spend 15 minutes on that and move on to something else. Take a minute-long break in between each block to stretch and get a drink.

Wear headphones. You don’t even have to play music if you don’t want to. But when colleagues see you’ve got headphones on, they’re much less likely to strike up distracting conversation.

Doggin’ It

According to the Associated Press, 26 percent of Americans consider themselves procrastinators. In 1978, only 5 percent gave themselves that label. (And it turns out men do it more than women: 54 percent of self-identified putter-offers are men.) Blame it on Facebook and texting and Tivo. Whatever. The important question is how do you stop?

According to the health site Greatist.com, an effective strategy is to restart your day at 2 p.m.: “Don’t let the whole day be a wash if you fail to be productive in the morning. Re-assess what’s top priority in the afternoon and get it done with a fresh start,” the site says. If you can’t get yourself properly motivated to get work done on a big project, try accomplishing smaller tasks, Greatist recommends. Clear out your e-mail, file some old documents, be at least somewhat productive, which tends to spur more productivity.

Workplace Health

(c) iStockphoto.com/skynesher

We hate to tell you this, but giving up your daily dose(s) of coffee might make you feel better in the end. According to MindBodyGreen.com, there are seven ways to stay healthy at work and the first is give up that buzz-inducing cup of caffeine, which usually results in a crash later in the day. It also dehydrates you and can upset your tummy. The blog recommends drinking water or eating an orange instead.

Skip bacon-egg-and-cheese croissants and go for all-fruit smoothies and veggie omelets for breakfast. Try to pack a hearty, healthy lunch but if you’re running out the door in the morning with no time to put together lunch, choose carefully at the office cafeteria.

Drink lots of water. It staves off appetite and keeps you hydrated.

Walk around, stand up and stretch whenever possible. If it’s possible to chat with someone in person instead of sending an e-mail, do it!

Socialize (a little). Having friendly exchanges with colleagues can reduce stress and promote work happiness, health and satisfaction.

Goals! Make lists and check off items as you accomplish them. That’ll keep you from being (too) overwhelmed and checking each thing off your list is motivating and rewarding all at the same time.

The Glass Labyrinth

(c) iStockphoto.com/almagami

According to an Ernst & Young survey of 1,000 women living in the U.K., the “glass ceiling” concept is dead, or at least altered. Management-issues.com, a news and business blog, reports that the women in the survey cited many complex barriers in their professional lives that aren’t accurately represented by a glass ceiling. “The professional services firm says that the barriers aren’t chronological and can be experienced at anytime, often several at once,” the site reports.

Thirty-two percent of respondents said they found their age getting in their way more so than their gender (they were thought to be too young or too old for their positions) and 27 percent said they anticipate age biases being a problem for them in the future. Nineteen percent reported that motherhood had presented difficult obstacles in their careers and 75 percent said they hadn’t had any or enough women role models. “Organizations need to ensure they are supporting women at every stage of their career life cycle, not just as they are about to enter the boardroom,” according to the site.

Wage Gap by the Numbers

We gave you the list of countries women should move to if they want the greatest opportunities in the world, and, no, the U.S. wasn’t in the top 10. If you’re planning on continuing to rough it here in America, here are the 10 states to avoid.